The U.S. Department of Agriculture is encouraging ag producers and private landowners to enroll in the Grassland Conservation Reserve Program (Grassland CRP) throughout this month until May 29. The USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) administers the voluntary working lands conservation program that aims to conserve grasslands while continuing most grazing and haying practices.
Support for grazing operations, plant and animal biodiversity, and grasslands and land with shrubs and forbs under the greatest threat of conversion are emphasized through Grassland CRP.
“Our Grassland CRP enrollment will be competitive just like our previous enrollment periods since we are very close to the 27-million-acre statutory cap,” said FSA Administrator Bill Beam. “Grassland CRP is designed to strike a balance between the importance of continued agricultural productivity and prioritizing the stewardship of America’s ecologically significant grasslands. USDA continues to put Farmers First by providing viable economic incentives while preserving working lands.”
CRP is USDA’s flagship conservation program, providing financial and technical support to agricultural producers and landowners who place unproductive or marginal cropland under contract for 10-15 years and who agree to voluntarily convert the land to beneficial vegetative cover to improve water quality, prevent soil erosion and support wildlife habitat.
More than 26.2 million acres are currently enrolled in CRP, with nearly 10.3 million acres in Grassland CRP. The General CRP enrollment period was recently closed by the FSA, and Continuous CRP closed on May 1. Submitted offers are being reviewed now and those accepted will be announced at a later date.
Due to a 27 million acre statutory cap, only 1.9 million acres are available for all CRP enrollment this fiscal year.
Those interested in participating in CRP should contact their local FSA county office before the deadline later this month on May 29.
Signed into law in 1985, CRP is one of the largest voluntary private-lands conservation programs in the United States. Originally intended to primarily control soil erosion and potentially stabilize commodity prices by taking marginal lands out of production, the program has evolved over the years, providing many conservation and economic benefits.
